As an alternative to conventional surgical techniques, many new minimally invasive techniques are being developed to access and treat internal body tissue. These minimally invasive techniques are generally less traumatic to the patient and heal faster than conventional surgeries.
In many minimally invasive surgical procedures, it is necessary for an endoscopist to route a guidewire from a position outside the patient's body to the position of the tissue to be treated. With the guidewire in place, catheters or devices can be advanced over the guidewire in order to position them adjacent the tissue in question.
For example, in treating the digestive tract, an endoscope is first routed through a patient's alimentary canal and a guidewire is then routed through a lumen in the endoscope in order to position it near the tissue in question. The endoscope is then removed over the guidewire thereby leaving the guidewire at the desired location. Other devices or catheters can then be routed over the guidewire in order to perform a treatment operation. Typically, the proximal end of the guidewire extends out the patient's mouth. In order to avoid having to reposition the guidewire, it is important that the guidewire not be moved during the surgical procedure.